Winner of the title of chef of the year awarded by the Society of chefs, cooks and pastry chefs of Quebec (SCCPQ), Dominic Jacques has the wind in his sails. Despite the pandemic and its upheavals afflicting the restaurant industry, the chef from Quebec is stepping up projects with the cardinal idea of putting passion and people back at the heart of the industry.
When we talk to him about the recognition received from his peers, he is quickly overcome by emotion. “It’s big, isn’t it?” At 30, I won The Chiefs !. I just turned 40, and that’s another honor. And I find it beautiful to see that. »He can not help but replay the film of the last ten years: opening of Quai 19, now Chez Rioux & Pettigrew, then the Roquette snack bar, the Porcelaine oyster bar, the Blanche reception room, and more …
With his tight-knit team, he will soon storm the concession of the Grand Théâtre de Québec to support the public before performances and during intermission. “We give ourselves the means to be overwhelmed! launches Dominic Jacques, smiling. Promoting the profession through art venues is the new direction we are taking. “
In the restaurant industry, which the bad press portrays as being tested in particular by the lack of manpower, Dominic Jacques stands out. His team is loyal to the job, he has even just hired a new employee in the kitchen. His dining room is full, he even had to enlarge it.
Make the job enjoyable
For those who say they are passionate and persevering, the secret remains simple: we must put people first. Long before sales or project ideas. “To be yelled at, that no longer exists in catering,” he illustrates. We have always had human value, and it serves us today with the pandemic. I think so much that we are a good team with a strong heart. That’s why we are able to do what we do. And do it right. “
Like some fellow chef owners such as Arnaud Marchand and Jean-Philippe Lessard, Dominic Jacques has established a four-day work week at home, group insurance and an environment where people work in the company. “Catering is a difficult profession to begin with, but how can you make it enjoyable? asks the restaurateur. The follow-up with the employees is extremely important. We want to know how they feel. You have to look at yourself as a business and tell yourself what you can do to make people better. Work evenings and weekends, there is a time to do it. When you’re in your twenties, you’re fine. When you reach your 30s, you lose a lot of people because of that. I want to keep them, ”he says.
Reorient yourself to survive
The chef notes that the pandemic is forcing a rapid reshuffle in the restaurant industry. With, among other things, the pressure for profitability and the labor shortage, work methods must be reviewed to keep the climate healthy and employees motivated. “The last two years, it’s been a lot of work, and it hasn’t been easy. You had to juggle everyone’s moods. There are those who were wondering: is this what I still want to do in life. I worked hard to show what is attractive about this job. “
One of the ways he found is to involve the young people of the brigade in the creation of a dish from the menu. “We give each other a date, they come to me with a dish, we taste it, we judge. I say my comments, we adjust. The next day, we taste again, and the third day, we put it on the menu. We have an absolutely incredible vegan dish on the menu this week, which was made by the next generation. We have good comments, it’s the fun for them ! »He says.
Dominic Jacques often comes back to the concepts of exchange and pedagogy. On his old aspirations as a cooking teacher and his desire to help young people improve. Knowledge sharing and continuing education are essential components in catering, he believes. “See what these young people will become later, I think that’s the best reward …”
The chef remembers his years spent with the illustrious Yvan Lebrun or the teachings of Daniel Vézina. An angel passes. “I learned so much from great mentors… I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing here…” he blurted out, leaving his sentence hanging, the emotion returning to the back of his throat.